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The last few years have been pretty quiet for funnyman Jim Carrey—and I can’t say that I’ve minded. Like a lot of moviegoers, I’d grown tired of Carrey’s rubber-faced schtick. But perhaps absence really does make the heart grow fonder—because after a three-year break from Carrey comedies (his last live-action comedy was 2005’s Fun with Dick and Jane), it’s actually nice to have him back in Yes Man.
Ever since his wife left him three years ago, loan officer Carl Allen (Carrey) has been a No Man. When his friends call to ask him to go out for drinks, he always makes excuses. When people come into the bank to apply for a loan, he always turns them down. As a result, he’s a lonely, unhappy man.
All that changes, though, when an old colleague talks Carl into attending a self-help seminar, and he makes a covenant to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes his way. Sure, it means that he ends up driving a homeless man into the middle of nowhere, where he runs out of gas. But it also means that, while filling up his gas can, he meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a fun-loving and impulsive girl who drives a scooter, sings in a band, and leads a photography group for joggers. She’s everything that Carl’s not—but he’s never been happier.
Based on the autobiography by real-life Yes Man Danny Wallace, Yes Man is an entertaining comedy that’s pleasantly reminiscent of Carrey’s Liar Liar. Though it’s built around the same old chick flick plot (guy meets girl…guy falls for girl…guy screws things up…), there are plenty of extra laughs (and a few fun surprises) thrown in to keep it from feeling old-hat.
More than the story, though, the characters make Yes Man worth watching. Deschanel, who once again plays the cute and quirky love interest (see Gigantic), is as cute and quirky as ever as Allison. And while she and Carrey certainly make a strange couple, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, Carrey tones down his typically over-exaggerated schtick to play Carl. While he’s still over-the-top—and he still makes more than the average actor’s share of funny faces—he isn’t as one-note as he has been in past performances. In fact, as far as goofy performances go, Carrey actually takes a backseat to The Flight of the Conchords comic Rhys Darby, who’s ridiculously hilarious as Carl’s socially-awkward yet lovably overzealous boss, Norman.
While the story may be silly (and predictable), the likeable characters and entertaining performances make Yes Man an enjoyable comedy. Heck, it’s even got a good message. So if you’d like to experience the power of yes for yourself, feel free to start by saying “yes” to Yes Man.
DVD Review:
The two-disc special edition DVD release of Yes Man comes with a digital copy of the film and a handful of silly extras. If you love Jim Carrey’s funny faces, you definitely won’t want to miss the five-minute gag reel. You’ll also want to check out Downtime on the Set, which is basically four minutes of Carrey (and a couple of cast mates) goofing off between scenes. And, of course, Jim Carrey: Extreme Yes Man, a feature about the stunts and other crazy things (including bungee jumping) that Carrey said “yes” to while making the movie.
My personal favorite extras, though, aren’t the Jim Carrey features. They’re the features that highlight Allison’s band, Munchausen by Proxy—including a Future Sounds feature on the band and five hilarious videos. Though most of the videos are just extended versions of the performances from the movie, they’re well worth another look (if only for the costumes).
So, thanks to the fun little extras, the laughs don’t have to end once you finish watching Yes Man. After the credits roll, be sure to check out the special features, too.
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